Hardly any phone system in business beats VoIP when it comes to efficiency and flexibility, but they are not immune to cyberattacks. If you haven’t already, secure your VoIP ASAP!
What kind of communication system are you using for your business?
I ask because many modern-day businesses have now switched to the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for telecoms (if you haven’t then you should – call us!). VoIP allows you to make and receive telephone calls using only an internet connection.
VoIP benefits include lower operating costs, greater convenience than traditional services, increased accessibility and higher scalability – not to mention that old telephone technology in the UK is being phased out by the major providers. VoIP also comes with advanced features for teams of all sizes, is completely portable, and offers superior voice quality.
However, VoIP systems also have limitations, with cyberattacks being their number one downside if they are not implemented and maintained properly. If you already have such a system, it’s not too late to secure it.
Read on to discover the most common threats to your network and tips on preventing them.
THE NEED FOR VOIP PROTECTION
All VoIP systems require a stable internet connection to function properly. Unfortunately, their reliability on the internet makes them vulnerable to various security issues. Some of the more frequent ones include:
SECURITY ISSUE #1. DENIAL OF SERVICE Denial of Service (DoS) is a common threat to VoIP systems comprising attacks designed to shut down a machine or network and make it inaccessible for use. When this happens, legitimate users of VoIP technology may not be able to use their systems, access their systems or devices and the internet lines essentially grind to a halt. Call centres can also be affected by lower call quality, uptime, and latency.
SECURITY ISSUE #2. WAR DIALLING And an old-school method from the 1980s that’s still popular today. An attacker takes over your telephone system and uses it to scan the telephone networks (often done for research purposes, or just because hackers like to amuse themselves). The impact for you - hundreds of thousands of telephone calls can be made using your system before you are even aware – and you end up with the phone bill.
SECURITY ISSUE #3. TOLL FRAUD One of the most common attacks. Toll fraud is a threat that involves taking over your system or an extension of your system and making calls to outside lines from your telephone system. Hackers dial costly international numbers solely to rack up charges on your telephone bill (premium rate numbers in the UK are quite well regulated, but internationally they can be higher, and when your phone system can make 20 simultaneous phone calls at £10/minute each then you can be out £3k in 15 minutes).
SECURITY ISSUE #4. PHISHING Standard phishing attacks – now in telephone form. This is quite a common threat mostly seen in text messages. Attackers send fraudulent messages designed to trick victims into revealing sensitive information. Often, the unsuspecting victims would divulge information about passwords, personal information, company information, and more. Here’s an article we write in November on Phishing.
SECURITY ISSUE #5. MALWARE We have spoken in the past about “IoT attacks” (here’s an article we did about the vulnerability of printers), where attackers break into your network using network devices and unfortunately your desk phones and mobile phones are no exception. Your telephones are small computers, and if a hacker gains access to them then they can install malicious software and use your own telephone as a beachhead to breach your network. After infecting the system with malware, VoIP hackers can enter your network, access critical business information, damage information or perform all manner of other attacks.
SECURITY ISSUE #6. CALL INTERCEPTION The call interception attacker takes advantage of unsecured networks to intercept your SIP traffic (that’s the protocol used to make and receive calls on VoIP systems). When a hacker can listen into your call, invite themselves into your call or re-route your call altogether – that’s a cause for concern.
6 TIPS FOR BOOSTING VOIP SECURITY
We’ve covered the bleak parts. Now for some good news. Given the variety of threats imposed by attackers on VoIP systems, it’s necessary to optimise your VoIP security ASAP. Here are 6 valuable tips to get you started.
(RE)GAINING CONTROL OVER YOUR VOIP SECURITY
VoIP systems are a fantastic alternative to landlines. After all, they offer many more features and flexibility at a fraction of the cost. However, their reliability on the internet also makes them susceptible to cyberattacks.
If you have just set up a VoIP system for your company or are thinking of starting one, securing it should be your number one priority. Don’t risk falling prey to toll fraud, malware, phishing, and other attacks. Take some time to secure your business by following the tips from this article.
And if you need more help to implement these changes or would like to further discuss securing your business’s VoIP system, reach out to us and we can set up a 10-15-minute chat.JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJzbGlkZUJ1dHRvbiUyMiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyc2lkZS1idXR0b24lMjIlM0VHZXQlMjBJbiUyMFRvdWNoJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNF
